flattermyselfthepoorsuffererwillsoonbeabletobeartheremovalwithoutmaterialinconvenienceorinjury。
　　AsIhavelittledoubtofyourfeelingforus，mydearFanny，underthesedistressingcircumstances，Iwillwriteagainverysoon。“
　　Fanny’sfeelingsontheoccasionwereindeedconsiderablymorewarmandgenuinethanheraunt’sstyleofwriting。
　　Shefelttrulyforthemall。Tomdangerouslyill，Edmundgonetoattendhim，andthesadlysmallpartyremainingatMansfield，werecarestoshutouteveryothercare，oralmosteveryother。ShecouldjustfindselfishnessenoughtowonderwhetherEdmund_had_writtentoMissCrawfordbeforethissummonscame，butnosentimentdweltlongwithherthatwasnotpurelyaffectionateanddisinterestedlyanxious。Herauntdidnotneglecther：
　　shewroteagainandagain；theywerereceivingfrequentaccountsfromEdmund，andtheseaccountswereasregularlytransmittedtoFanny，inthesamediffusestyle，andthesamemedleyoftrusts，hopes，andfears，allfollowingandproducingeachotherathaphazard。
　　Itwasasortofplayingatbeingfrightened。
　　ThesufferingswhichLadyBertramdidnotseehadlittlepoweroverherfancy；andshewroteverycomfortablyaboutagitation，andanxiety，andpoorinvalids，tillTomwasactuallyconveyedtoMansfield，andherowneyeshadbeheldhisalteredappearance。ThenaletterwhichshehadbeenpreviouslypreparingforFannywasfinishedinadifferentstyle，inthelanguageofrealfeelingandalarm；thenshewroteasshemighthavespoken。
　　“Heisjustcome，mydearFanny，andistakenupstairs；
　　andIamsoshockedtoseehim，thatIdonotknowwhattodo。Iamsurehehasbeenveryill。PoorTom!
　　Iamquitegrievedforhim，andverymuchfrightened，andsoisSirThomas；andhowgladIshouldbeifyouwereheretocomfortme。ButSirThomashopeshewillbebetterto-morrow，andsayswemustconsiderhisjourney。“
　　Therealsolicitudenowawakenedinthematernalbosomwasnotsoonover。Tom’sextremeimpatiencetoberemovedtoMansfield，andexperiencethosecomfortsofhomeandfamilywhichhadbeenlittlethoughtofinuninterruptedhealth，hadprobablyinducedhisbeingconveyedthithertooearly，asareturnoffevercameon，andforaweekhewasinamorealarmingstatethanever。
　　Theywereallveryseriouslyfrightened。LadyBertramwroteherdailyterrorstoherniece，whomightnowbesaidtoliveuponletters，andpassallhertimebetweensufferingfromthatofto-dayandlookingforwardtoto-morrow’s。
　　Withoutanyparticularaffectionforhereldestcousin，hertendernessofheartmadeherfeelthatshecouldnotsparehim，andthepurityofherprinciplesaddedyetakeenersolicitude，whensheconsideredhowlittleuseful，howlittleself-denyinghislifehadapparentlybeen。
　　Susanwasheronlycompanionandlisteneronthis，asonmorecommonoccasions。Susanwasalwaysreadytohearandtosympathise。Nobodyelsecouldbeinterestedinsoremoteanevilasillnessinafamilyaboveanhundredmilesoff；
　　notevenMrs。Price，beyondabriefquestionortwo，ifshesawherdaughterwithaletterinherhand，andnowandthenthequietobservationof，“MypoorsisterBertrammustbeinagreatdealoftrouble。“
　　Solongdividedandsodifferentlysituated，thetiesofbloodwerelittlemorethannothing。Anattachment，originallyastranquilastheirtempers，wasnowbecomeamerename。Mrs。PricedidquiteasmuchforLadyBertramasLadyBertramwouldhavedoneforMrs。Price。
　　ThreeorfourPricesmighthavebeensweptaway，anyorallexceptFannyandWilliam，andLadyBertramwouldhavethoughtlittleaboutit；orperhapsmighthavecaughtfromMrs。Norris’slipsthecantofitsbeingaveryhappythingandagreatblessingtotheirpoordearsisterPricetohavethemsowellprovidedfor。
　　Atabouttheweek’sendfromhisreturntoMansfield，Tom’simmediatedangerwasover，andhewassofarpronouncedsafeastomakehismotherperfectlyeasy；
　　forbeingnowusedtothesightofhiminhissuffering，helplessstate，andhearingonlythebest，andneverthinkingbeyondwhatsheheard，withnodispositionforalarmandnoaptitudeatahint，LadyBertramwasthehappiestsubjectintheworldforalittlemedicalimposition。
　　Thefeverwassubdued；thefeverhadbeenhiscomplaint；
　　ofcoursehewouldsoonbewellagain。LadyBertramcouldthinknothingless，andFannysharedheraunt’ssecurity，tillshereceivedafewlinesfromEdmund，writtenpurposelytogiveheraclearerideaofhisbrother’ssituation，andacquaintherwiththeapprehensionswhichheandhisfatherhadimbibedfromthephysicianwithrespecttosomestronghecticsymptoms，whichseemedtoseizetheframeonthedepartureofthefever。TheyjudgeditbestthatLadyBertramshouldnotbeharassedbyalarmswhich，itwastobehoped，wouldproveunfounded；buttherewasnoreasonwhyFannyshouldnotknowthetruth。Theywereapprehensiveforhislungs。
　　AveryfewlinesfromEdmundshewedherthepatientandthesickroominajusterandstrongerlightthanallLadyBertram’ssheetsofpapercoulddo。Therewashardlyanyoneinthehousewhomightnothavedescribed，frompersonalobservation，betterthanherself；
　　notonewhowasnotmoreusefulattimestoherson。
　　Shecoulddonothingbutglideinquietlyandlookathim；
　　butwhenabletotalkorbetalkedto，orreadto，Edmundwasthecompanionhepreferred。Hisauntworriedhimbyhercares，andSirThomasknewnothowtobringdownhisconversationorhisvoicetothelevelofirritationandfeebleness。Edmundwasallinall。Fannywouldcertainlybelievehimsoatleast，andmustfindthatherestimationofhimwashigherthaneverwhenheappearedastheattendant，supporter，cheererofasufferingbrother。
　　Therewasnotonlythedebilityofrecentillnesstoassist：
　　therewasalso，asshenowlearnt，nervesmuchaffected，spiritsmuchdepressedtocalmandraise，andherownimaginationaddedthattheremustbeamindtobeproperlyguided。
　　Thefamilywerenotconsumptive，andshewasmoreinclinedtohopethanfearforhercousin，exceptwhenshethoughtofMissCrawford；butMissCrawfordgavehertheideaofbeingthechildofgoodluck，andtoherselfishnessandvanityitwouldbegoodlucktohaveEdmundtheonlyson。
　　EveninthesickchamberthefortunateMarywasnotforgotten。Edmund’sletterhadthispostscript。
　　“Onthesubjectofmylast，IhadactuallybegunaletterwhencalledawaybyTom’sillness，butIhavenowchangedmymind，andfeartotrusttheinfluenceoffriends。
　　WhenTomisbetter，Ishallgo。“
　　SuchwasthestateofMansfield，andsoitcontinued，withscarcelyanychange，tillEaster。AlineoccasionallyaddedbyEdmundtohismother’sletterwasenoughforFanny’sinformation。Tom’samendmentwasalarminglyslow。
　　Eastercameparticularlylatethisyear，asFannyhadmostsorrowfullyconsidered，onfirstlearningthatshehadnochanceofleavingPortsmouthtillafterit。Itcame，andshehadyetheardnothingofherreturn——nothingevenofthegoingtoLondon，whichwastoprecedeherreturn。
　　Herauntoftenexpressedawishforher，buttherewasnonotice，nomessagefromtheuncleonwhomalldepended。
　　Shesupposedhecouldnotyetleavehisson，butitwasacruel，aterribledelaytoher。TheendofAprilwascomingon；
　　itwouldsoonbealmostthreemonths，insteadoftwo，thatshehadbeenabsentfromthemall，andthatherdayshadbeenpassinginastateofpenance，whichshelovedthemtoowelltohopetheywouldthoroughlyunderstand；
　　andwhocouldyetsaywhentheremightbeleisuretothinkoforfetchher？
　　Hereagerness，herimpatience，herlongingstobewiththem，weresuchastobringalineortwoofCowper’sTirociniumforeverbeforeher。“Withwhatintensedesireshewantsherhome，“wascontinuallyonhertongue，asthetruestdescriptionofayearningwhichshecouldnotsupposeanyschoolboy’sbosomtofeelmorekeenly。
　　WhenshehadbeencomingtoPortsmouth，shehadlovedtocallitherhome，hadbeenfondofsayingthatshewasgoinghome；
　　thewordhadbeenverydeartoher，andsoitstillwas，butitmustbeappliedtoMansfield。_That_wasnowthehome。PortsmouthwasPortsmouth；Mansfieldwashome。
　　Theyhadbeenlongsoarrangedintheindulgenceofhersecretmeditations，andnothingwasmoreconsolatorytoherthantofindherauntusingthesamelanguage：
　　“IcannotbutsayImuchregretyourbeingfromhomeatthisdistressingtime，soverytryingtomyspirits。
　　Itrustandhope，andsincerelywishyoumayneverbeabsentfromhomesolongagain，“weremostdelightfulsentencestoher。Still，however，itwasherprivateregale。
　　Delicacytoherparentsmadehercarefulnottobetraysuchapreferenceofheruncle’shouse。Itwasalways：
　　“WhenIgobackintoNorthamptonshire，orwhenIreturntoMansfield，Ishalldosoandso。“Foragreatwhileitwasso，butatlastthelonginggrewstronger，itoverthrewcaution，andshefoundherselftalkingofwhatsheshoulddowhenshewenthomebeforeshewasaware。